Promises
by Korpswoman of Krieg
Summary: "I'm just nervous I suppose. Tomorrow is… oh, in the most cliché terms, it's the start of the rest of our lives." "Yes, that was very cliché, wasn't it Harry? Life is a little bit strange in that manner." Fluffy HP/LL, C C definitely appreciated!


When looking back on his life, as he did from time to time, Harry Potter had overcome far, far more than a man of his age should ever have had to face. Nearly killed by a Dark Lord at the tender age of one, suffering an abusive childhood, more attempted murder, basilisks, dementors, dragons, the return of the Dark Lord and his eventual defeat after an underground war waged for years by a secretive order of which Harry was the primary charge of; he had an impressive list of "things that have tried to kill me," as he once described in a moment of quiet amusement to his former partner as an Auror, Ron Weasley.

There was a new thing causing Harry to panic right now, however; his wedding. In a mere sixteen hours on a crisp, bright January afternoon, he was to stand in front of the friends he'd come to call his family and watch as Luna Lovegood became Luna Potter and thus, his wife. Despite it being all he'd come to want, and his time with Luna being the happiest he'd felt in an impossibly long time, the pre-wedding jitters were nonetheless very real.

From his seat at the kitchen counter, he looked out of the window at the rolling hills of the countryside, the shimmer of frost on the grass reflecting the moonlight, and smiled. "She's probably sketching that right now..." he said to no one in particular before taking a sip of tea. She'd headed over to her old home to stay the night, and be a sight more traditional than expected, leaving Harry in the company of Minnie, their cat. Despite her purring away as he stroked her from her perch on the seat to his left, the house didn't feel quite right without Luna's idle humming, the scratch of pencil on paper or one of her albums on the record player. He lost himself in thought again and didn't notice a soft pop from behind him until a soft voice brought him out of it.

"Hmm, quite a high concentration of Wrackspurts you've got there, Harry. Penny for your thoughts?" Luna queried, a dreamy smile on her face as Harry turned around, turning into a smirk as Harry furrowed his brow at her… choice of eyewear.

"Sweets… are those your old Spectrespecs?" Harry chuckled. He rose from his seat and wrapped her in a gentle hug, prompting her to give a small, satisfied mewl.

"Mhm-hm. Found them in a chest in my old bedroom. Thought I'd try the "Something old..." thing Molly told me about. But that doesn't answer my question though, does it, Harry Potter? Penny. For. Your. Thoughts." she patted his chest for emphasis.

Harry rested his chin on her head and sighed before answering. "I'm just nervous I suppose. Tomorrow is… oh, in the most cliché terms, it's the start of the rest of our lives."

"Yes, that was very cliché, wasn't it Harry?" Luna agreed, nuzzling into his chest. "Life is a little bit strange in that manner."

Harry kissed the top of her head and stayed in a silent hug with her until Minnie hopped off of her stool and walked around the pair's legs, purring up at Luna in particular. Luna made to get out of the hug and kneel down until Harry stopped her, picking Minnie up and handing her gently to Luna, provoking another knowing smirk.

"I'm only three months gone, Harry, I'm certain I'm still allowed to kneel for a while." She said as she started to scratch behind Minnie's ear, the sounds of her purring filling the kitchen. Luna walked over to the kitchen counter and took a seat on a stool, nodding for Harry to sit down next to her.

"Doesn't stop me being just a bit courteous though, does it, Sweets? Has the baby given you any grief?" Harry simply wrapped her in another hug, placing a hand on her stomach, a small baby bump in the process of forming.

"No, not really. Just been hungry since I apparated over to Daddy's. Two boxes of Every Flavour Beans in a single sitting is worrying… and I liked every flavour. That's even more worrying." Luna giggled quietly, leaning up to give Harry a short peck on the lips. "Pregnancy cravings are fun."

"That's one way of putting it. Anyway… what brings you back here so late? Did you forget something for tomorrow?" Harry queried, stroking the bump affectionately.

Luna shook her head and slid the Spectrespecs off, stuffing them into the chest pocket of her cardigan. "No… I just wanted to come and say goodnight." She nuzzled against Harry's chest and continued to stroke Minnie, purring away while curled in Luna's lap. "To you and the cat. Doesn't quite feel right to be… on my own for the evening, even with Daddy still working downstairs."

"Got your own Wrackspurt problem then have you, Sweets?" Harry mumbled into her hair.

"Mmhm. Can't relax. Can't settle down. A bit… fuzzy. Feckin' irritating." She moved her arms from around Harry and placed the cat on the kitchen counter, Minnie promptly patting Luna's hand with her paw and purring again when Luna started to stroke her once more. "Nervous, I suppose."

Harry sat down next to her and took her free hand, stroking it affectionately with his thumb. "What kind of nervous though? I mean, I can only answer for myself but… it's… nervous excitement. Is it that kind of thing?"

Luna nodded, shifting over on her stool and looking out of the window. "Aye. Anticipation seems like the right word. The moon's looking lovely tonight. I was doing a sketch of it before I came over."

"I thought you might be. When can I see it?" Harry coaxed, smiling earnestly.

"I'll show you after the ceremony tomorrow. And when am I going to get a glimpse of your vows?"

"I'll show you at the ceremony tomorrow."

Luna narrowed her eyes and said in faux-annoyance "Feckin' tease. Isn't he Minnie?"

Harry smirked as the cat closed its' eyes and chirped as Luna kept scratching. "I think the cat's too blissed out to care, to be honest, Sweets."

Luna nodded and squeezed Harry's hand. "You might be right. And I'm also just delaying leaving because I'm rather relaxed but I know for a fact I need to get some sleep before tomorrow because walking down the aisle with bags under my eyes isn't exactly a good look and-"

Harry chuckled as she started to ramble, getting up and wrapping her in another hug. "Relax… relax. You should probably head off back to the Rookery and get to sleep. I was just about to finish my cup of tea and have a kip anyway." He pulled back and cupped her face in his hands. "Okay?"

Luna's expression went dreamy once more, and she nodded with half-lidded eyes. "Alright. Alright, I'll head back over. Be good, okay?" She put her arms around his neck and pulled him for a tight hug, giving him a long kiss before pulling away. "Love you."

Harry smiled into the kiss and hugged tighter. "Love you too, Sweets," he replied, pulling back and stroking her baby bump once more. "Try not to panic too much, okay?"

Luna nodded and gave him one more peck on the lips before stepping back and apparating away with a soft pop, the cat flinching but quickly going back to being curled up on the counter. Harry smiled to himself and went to finish his cup of tea in a few gulps, before walking off towards the bedroom and slipping under the covers, falling asleep far quicker than he'd expected, and drifting into a sleep deeper than he'd thought he would…

* * *

Xenophilius sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose. Short just one article for the Quibbler… not even an article really. A two-page spread and he didn't want another edition to have a spread full of advertisements for the sake of having advertisements. Reaching into his pocket, he grabbed his wand and flicked it to crack the window behind him open slightly, before placing the wand down and grabbing his pipe. Striking a match, he lit some of the tobacco left in it and took a short puff, relaxing slightly into the chair.

He started to sit up when he heard the soft pop of Luna apparating into the kitchen downstairs, and shortly thereafter the boil of the kettle. He went back to the typewriter and stared at the blank page until Luna poked her head around the door.

"I made you a cup of tea, Daddy, do you want it now or are you going to get it in a bit?" She stepped into the room with a cup in each hand, giggling as her dad put out his pipe and frantically wafted the smoke out of the window. "Daddy, I'll be alright; you have the window open anyway."

"Yes but I don't even want a slight risk of harming the little one." Xenophilius wafted the last of the smoke out, then turned around and took his cup of tea from Luna, placing it down on the side table next to his desk. "How was Harry?"

"He had a considerable Wrackspurt infestation going on, worked out it was the anticipation of tomorrow that was the cause. Had a bit of a cuddle, helped him ease up." She put her cup of tea aside and wrapped her dad into a hug, squeezing him.

"That's good then, Moonbeam. You seemed a bit… Wrackspurt-y yourself though, I have to say. Same problem?" He replied, hugging her back as she nodded into his chest. "Ah. I was the same the night before I got married to your mummy. It's normal." He pulled back and kissed her forehead. "Have your cup of tea and then try and sleep. Alright? Don't want you feeling tired for tomorrow."

Luna nodded again and turned back to grab her cup of tea and have a sip. "Good idea. Umm… Daddy?"

"Yes, sweetheart?"

"Was… Mummy nervous the night before the wedding?"

Xenophilius looked down at Luna and sighed again. He turned and sat down on the chair behind his typewriter, looking out the window for a second before speaking "Remarkably… no."

"No? She wasn't nervous?"

Xenophilius shook his head. "Not even slightly. She was simply… ooh, she had that sort of really infectious excitement. She barely slept, but she still had so much energy; she didn't stop dancing for the entire night at the reception."

A wide smile cracked across Luna's face at this. "Really? She was just excited?"

"Like you wouldn't believe. Now! Stop trying to delay your sleep. I want you to be excited,

not bloody tired."

Luna kept smiling as she started to leave, waving a short goodbye as she started rambling to herself. "Oh… she was excited? I wonder what exactly kept her so excited without being even slightly nervous and-" she trailed off as he ascended the stairs to her bedroom, Xenophilius smirking as he took up his pipe and lit up again, taking a long puff and breathing out through his nose. Then, he felt an idea start to dawn on him. Two blank pages to fill, and he'd posted op-eds before…

_I don't tend to write opinion editorials very much, as, in a journal such as the Quibbler, my priority is always on the stories out there from the readers and from figures all across the wizarding world; and even rarer do any of those articles or columns concern figures who have a degree of fame. But today, I'm going to take it upon myself to write on something – rather, someone – very dear to me and my heart._

_As of the time of writing, it's ten to eleven at night, and tomorrow afternoon I'll lead my dear daughter Luna down the aisle, and hand her over to the man I'll be calling my son-in-law, Harry Potter. It was after reflecting on this and reflecting on my own marriage to Pandora, many moons ago, that provoked me to write this._

_It is no secret to my contributors and my readers that Luna, my little girl, has been the light of my life since the day she was born, and will remain the light in the black for me until the day I leave this world and join my wife in whatever lies beyond. But with that love, has come a wistful sadness. Since her time in the muggle world, after all the dreadful things she was subjected to during the Second Wizarding War, I've had the fear in the back of my mind that she would up and leave me, discard me as if I were an afterthought. Irrational, I know, but I fear the human mind is far from rational at the best of times._

_Tomorrow, however, she will cease to simply be my little girl. She will no longer be Luna Lovegood, the doe-eyed girl with a heart that aches with curiosity and wonder at the joys of what the world gives us. She has grown over the years and became a young woman that I am immeasurably proud of, and her mother would absolutely say the same. Never having lost the wonder, and the love for all things we have been gifted by Mother Earth, she has grown to be a savvy, sharp-minded and all-around remarkable young woman._

_As some readers might know – and if not, well I already mentioned it further up the page so there's a hint already – she has been romantically involved with Harry Potter for the best part of a year and a half, and for some, it's considered quite the talking point. I can't count the amount of contact I've had from the types over at the Prophet, or even that rag Witch Weekly over my daughter being involved with 'The Boy Who Lived', it's frankly rather grating. Because I don't know him as 'The Boy Who Lived', or by any moniker that the poor lad has been given._

_Over the past year and a half, I have come to know him well. And instead of a hero, as he's made out to be… he's a remarkably humble, warm-hearted young fellow, with a subtle pain behind his eyes that belies the trials he's been subjected to in his life, far more than he's had any reason to be. And every time I see him with my daughter, his eyes are afire with a love I've only seen once before… you can gather where._

_These two beautiful, achingly wonderful souls will become one with each other tomorrow, in front of the friends that have become their families, under the watchful eye of Mother Earth. And the fear I had in my heart, that Luna, my wonderful little Moonbeam, would be taken away from me by anyone, will definitely not rear its' ugly head. I never thought I'd see anyone make her as happy as Harry has made her, nor would I have expected to see Harry's eyes light up as much as they have around my little girl. No, not my little girl… my wonderful young woman. Not simply Luna Lovegood any more, Luna Potter now._

_To Harry, I can tell you with every shred of confidence that you are going to be the best son-in-law that anyone could be blessed with, and I know I've said it to you before, but I want to welcome you, wholeheartedly, into the family. You're a good-hearted, humble young man who I wish I could compare to in even the slightest way, and I so wish that you would have joined the family sooner; Pandora would love the bones of you._

_To Luna, my darling Moonbeam, I cannot begin to say how proud I am of you. The written word makes it easier for me to do it without crying and interrupting my speech; at the moment my tears are just staining the front of my robes. You've come so far from where you were, and you've become more than twice the woman I thought you'd be. Remember that I love you, and I always will, and your Mummy does too, wherever she is in the next life._

_And to the pair of you, you are a beacon of hope; hope that people can overcome the harshest of what life can throw at them, and triumph over the demons in your lives, personal or otherwise. I know you've both had your fair share of demons in the past, but now you begin the next chapter of your lives, and you have a bright, wonderful future ahead of you. I know you'll do so anyway, but just to dissuade any lasting fears I might have… take care of her, will you Harry? And of the little one, when he arrives in June._

_Xenophilius Lovegood, Editor-in-Chief of The Quibbler... proud father to Luna Lovegood-Potter, father-in-law to Harry Potter, and soon to be a proud grandfather._

Xenophilius sat back in the chair and let himself cry freer, the emotion of the open letter washing over him. He didn't realise until just then just how much of his heart he had poured onto the page, not until the tears really were staining his robes, much like he'd written. After a minute or two, to get his bearings, he took the pages out of the typewriter and placed them aside with the rest of the completed Quibbler issue, looking over with a small smile. "Hang on a tick..." He mumbled to himself.

He grabbed the two pages and quickly ran them under a copier, cutting off the sound with a non-verbal muffilatio to make sure Luna wasn't given a rude awakening, and then drained his cup of tea as it whirred away. "The original is mine…" he mumbled again, another smile on his face.


End file.
